Dynasty

Dynasty

The House of Götzö-Thomaz-Rocha, or “House of Ruthenia” is one of the most important royal houses of micronationalism. The throne of the Kingdom of Ruthenia is occupied by the family since 2014. The house also produced emperors and kings of the Kingdom of Acrin, Kingdom of Bessabia, Empire of Badakistan, Grand Duchy of Gaussland, Kingdom of Horvatia and the Principality of Carpathia, as well as holders of several other minor titles. The house is also a cadet branch of the House of Thomaz-Rocha and the House of Goëtzën, created in 1988 with the marriage between Archduke Ari and the Archduches Denise, only daughter of the Count Michael von Goëtzën. After the death of Michael von Goëtzën in 2015, the Goëtzën’s direct line ended, and the Götzö-Thomaz-Rocha assume his titles.

Origin of Thomaz-Rocha

The known origin of the Thomaz-Rocha family is their first record in the 13th century by the event of the Fourth Crusade. Monssu de la Roche, the youngest of three brothers, joined the Crusader efforts. The eldest of the brothers, Otto de la Roche, became the first Duke of Athens and the middle brother, even the name was taken by the time without having achieved anything noteworthy. Years after the end of the Fourth Crusade, the youngest of the brothers became a mercenary warrior in the service of the King of Portugal against Muslims in Algarve and from that moment, he made the Kingdom of Portugal his home, without having descendants who reached some fame as the older brother or himself.

The De la Roche family absorbed “Thomaz” about three centuries later, when a branch of the family, in the King of Portugal diplomatic service in Electorate of Saxony, found a Scottish exiled supporters of Reform, then chased by Mary I of England. In fact, the last name at the time was “McThomaz”, with “Mc” being forgotten after the union of the two families, since they considered more Latin form “Thomaz-Rocha”, to live in the Kingdom of Portugal, where the family reside and who dedicate their lives until the Napoleonic invasion in 1807.

With the invasion, the family fled to Colonial Brazil, then colony of Portugal. Once the colony and with the blessing of the House of Braganza, paved over the country and established what later became the Kingdom of Ruthenia, in northeastern Brazil. For a little over a century, the family would perform consanguineous marriages in order to preserve its history and its fortune; this last point, inefficient.

Origin of Goëtzën

The House of Goëtzën is a noble family connected to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a Hungarian family from Biharkeresztes. The family immigrated to Brazil following the defeat of Austria-Hungary on World War I and settled in São Paulo were they have remained to this day.

The the last male of female line of the family is the Emperor-King, son of the last living member of the family by the male line, Archduchess Denise. The last male member of male line of the family and older brother of Archduchess Denise, Wladimir von Goëtzën, died without issue.

In January 2016, the King of Ruthenia ordered the creation of a new coat of arms, that uses elements of the original, but also other elements to strengthen their ties with their Hungarian origins. Many of the elements also represent connection with the House of Árpád, since genealogical research point the Árpáds as ancestors of the ruling house of Karnia-Ruthenia, through the marriage of Mary of Hungary, daughter of Ladislaus I of Hungary, with Prince Iaroslav of Volhinia.

Present and Ascension

In the 1980’s, the so-called Duke Ari of Ruthenia married the Countess Denise von Goëtzën, the last ancestor of an aristocratic Austro-Hungarian family that despite the Germanic name, proudly preserved their deep Magyars origins. It was the only child of the couple, Oscar, to usher in this family with the actual status in 2014. At birth the Emperor-King, who already used the courtesy title of Count von Goëtzën, signed in documents as “Götzö and Thomaz-Rocha”, although it is more common to use the last name, and after his coronation, simply “Oscar of Ruthenia”. After the death of his grandfather, Michael von Goëtzën, the Emperor-King took the title of Count of Bihar, since it was the last male member of the family still alive.

Titles

On 19 November 2014, the Kingdom of Ruthenia was founded. With the accession of Oscar I to the newly established throne, the title of Count von Goëtzën became attached to the title of King of Ruthenia.

On 30 June 2015, the Government of Ruthenia annexed Kaiser Wilhelm II Land which came to be known as Grand Duchy of Gaussland and on 15 December 2015, Oscar of Ruthenia dethroned King Eitan of Acrin, assuming the throne of Acrin and annexing it to Ruthenia.

Karnia was founded on 02 February 2016 and after some weeks, the project didn’t achieved the expectd result. Without a Constitution or a well estabilished system of government, the Karnian government requested help to the Ruthenian Government and on 10 March 2016, the Imperial Crown was handled to the King of the Ruthenians. In return, the project would be expanded and be at par with the Kingdom of Ruthenia. The result of this negotiation was the Karno-Ruthenian Compromise of 2016 and the foundation of the Karno-Ruthenian Empire.

On 09 July 2016, the Household of Their Royal Highness-es the Co-Domnitori Alexander XII and Oscar I, has announced that the Domnitor Oscar signed the Treaty of Alexandrești and abdicated from the Princely throne of Carpathia leaving the throne solely to Alexander XII. This was done as a part of a treaty between the two co-Domnitori, by which the Carpathia would become a constituent state of the Karno-Ruthenian Empire. On 10 October 2016, Alexander XII informed the Emperor-King the desire to secede the principality from the Empire. The request was accepted and made official by the Imperial Decree n. 049-2016.

After the Karno-Ruthenian Compromise of 2016, the ancestral branches of the House of Götzö-Thomaz-Rocha, the Houses of Thomaz-Rocha and Goëtzën acquired imperial rank, and on 16 July 2016, had their titles established by Imperial and Royal Decree n. 34-2016, and from that moment on “His Imperial and Royal Highness, Archduke of Karnia and Prince of Ruthenia”, but the House of Thomaz-Rocha had the titles of Count Vincefort, Count of Rochen, Duke of Mainarque, Prince of Mainarque, Duke of Montfort and Prince of Montfort abolished, while the House of Goëtzën have created the title of Prince or Princess of Hohenstenberg.

Within the Empire, the forces of opposition to the Dual Monarchy lost their disposition, leading to the creation of Tsechia, a micronation composed mostly of Ethnic Czechs who refused Oscar I as their king, despite joining the Empire. The number of citizens grew little, but guaranteed a place for another culture within the Empire, making more heterogeneous the ethnic composition of Karnia-Ruthenia. However, agreements reached between Karnians and the Emperor-King made it possible for a small portion of the territory to be under direct domination of the Empire – the Duchy of Taschen – only as a “moderating protection” if necessary. Oscar was made Duke of Taschen and Heir to the Throne of Tsechia on 13 February 2017 with the intervention of Anton Wenzel, Regent of Tsechia on his behalf. After the Antonian Revolution, Tsechia became a unified kingdom and Oscar I became its King.

On 04 June 2017, Oscar I was made Duke of Sasso-Koharové by Emperor Carlos V of Plata, a micronation established in Argentina. The title was granted as a token of friendship and gratitude, since the Emperor-King played a key role in materializing Carlos V’s micronational plans as Emperor of Plata. The partnership lasted and Carlos V was made 11th Knight of the Order of the Edelweiss. Once again grateful and maintaining an informal program of help, Charles V granted another title to the Emperor; this time, the title of Duke of Penteuèvre and Monpensièr.

Line of Succession to the Throne

Karnia-Ruthenia had equal primogeniture sucession, but that is limited to those descended from Archduke Ari of Karnia and in the future, the Emperor-King, through approved marriage. Dynasts lose their right to the throne if they marry without the permission of the monarch or current pretender. Individuals born to unmarried dynasts or to former dynasts that married without royal permission, and their descendants, are excluded from the throne. Further, when approving a marriage, the monarch can impose conditions that must be met in order for any resulting offspring to have succession rights.

Also included in the line of succession, although excluded members who were against decisions of the head of the dynasty or promoted any attempt on the dynastic order imposed; the latter are considered “disgraced”, lose their titles and their descendants are automatically excluded from the line of succession, although it remains just as a courtesy.

The Throne must pass to the member of the Imperial and Royal Family next nearest in lineage with the same line of succession should a situation arise where there are no eligible descendants of the reigning King. The monarch is allowed to be a member of any faith of their choosing, traditionally a Catholic Church. The monarch was never forced to belong to any religion, however to prevent any potential crisis of faith within the Imperial and Royal Family, all members are allowed to profess any faith they desire or none at all.

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About This Site

The Karno-Ruthenian Empire is a micronation founded on 19 November of 2014 and claim lands in America and Europe. We are not a simulation or a game, but we are a real, functioning micronation. Join us!

Find Us

About This Site

Karnia-Ruthenia is the sucessor state of the Kingdom of Ruthenia, founded on 19 November 2014. A Constitutional Monarchy claiming lands in America and Europe, we are not a simulation or a game, but we are a real, functioning micronation. If you join us, the Emperor and the People will chart the course for our future in a common effort to build and maintain our great nation.